Other common wildlife (although harder to spot sometimes) would be squirrels and chipmunks. During one of my hikes in the New Jersey Highlands, I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. I tuned into the subtle, faint sound. I heard it again: a slithering ruffle through the dried leaves on the ground. It was unmistakably a snake... but which one?!
During walks in the wild, you will bump into wildlife you wish you would never cross paths with in your life. Snakes are somewhat common, but only during certain times of the day and seasons where activity is heightened. For most snakes, midday is too hot during the summers to be in the sun, so they stay undercover of fallen trees, rock crevasse, and leaves. Its only during the afternoons after a hot day that activity resumes.
Its a good idea to study what kind of wildlife is common around where you hike. Learn about the dangerous wildlife and the not-so-dangerous wildlife. Out of all the snakes in the U.S., only a handful are fatally poisonous. Find out which snakes are poisonous around your area and study their coloring and patterning. That should put you at ease when coming across a snake.
So, what happened to me during my snake encounter, you ask? Well, knowing how to identify snakes, I wasn't too worried as I stood motionless, but I didn't have a snake-bite first-aid kit with me. As I heard it again, I found it! It was in front of me the whole time! I couldn't see it because of its perfect camouflage. It was a small, non-poisonous Eastern Ribbon Snake looking for a stream or marsh to hide in. I was safe.
As with everything in the wild, I left it alone and unprovoked. One good habit to develop as you hike through the woods is to look before you step on logs, fallen trees, rocky outcrops just to be safe. And always remember to NEVER take anything with you from the wild except your trash. That way, future hikers can enjoy the wildlife you enjoyed and have a clean trail to enjoy!
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